Are you or your athletes in control of your ‘chimp’ (emotional, reactive part of your mind) at all times? We hear from Professor Steve Peters -- the brains behind ‘The Chimp Paradox’ and the much-heralded psychiatrist who has worked with the likes of Team Sky Cycling, Liverpool Football Club and the FA to improve athlete performance. Prof Peters explains the rationale for the seemingly simplistic model and shared example of how it can be applied in various sport settings.

“The Chimp Paradox” has been among the most popular self-development books in recent years and it will of interest to many BJSM listeners from both a personal and professional standpoint. http://amzn.to/1TNV3Xy

If you want to see Prof Peters speak – sign up for the BASEM Spring Conference (Friday April 8th) here! http://bit.ly/1TNV0en

Timeline

1:10m: What is the chimp model?

4:15m: How does the ‘chimp’ model work in sport?

5:30m: Is it always an overactive chimp that holds athletes back?

7:45m: What works best with athletes?

9:30m: What can we do about unhelpful behavioural traits?

11:45m: What pitfalls can we avoid when dealing with young elite athletes?

13:30m: How can you talk to athletes about psychological performance?

16:55m: Does the chimp model work when split-second sporting decisions are needed?

18:30m: Mental Health in Sport

21:15m: Any tips for those wanting to work in sport?

BJSM Links:

2016’s issue 3 of BJSM was devoted to mental health in sport. Table of contents link:

http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/3.toc

An editorial on the issue of mental health and ‘mental toughness’ :

Dr James Bauman: The stigma of mental health in athletes: are mental toughness and mental health seen as contradictory in elite sport?

http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/3/135.extract